Biden administration ‘taking a serious look’ at existing tools to deal effectively with Beijing’s policies causing ‘dependencies and vulnerabilities’.

As Indian military begins withdrawing, China’s defence ministry confirms a PLA delegation last week visited island nation and met President Muizzu.

US partners in Indo-Pacific Economic Framework are impatient for implementation, Marc Mealy of US-Asean Business Council says.

Hours before Beijing is to launch international expo featuring tech giants like Tesla and Apple, Joe Biden unveils White House ‘resilience council’.

Washington will lean heavily on its regional allies to continue countering China amid the ongoing conflicts, analysts say – even if the ‘era of absolute US primacy in Asia may be over’.

However, the IPEF’s trade pillar remains in limbo, after negotiations over the past week failed to produce a deal.

Janet Yellen touts ‘substantial progress’ negotiating trade section of Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, but says it ‘looks not to be complete’.

Two Democratic senators have asked Joe Biden’s administration to drop the trade element from the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, citing a lack of ‘enforceable labour standards’.

At ‘2+2’ talks in New Delhi, the democratic allies pull closer as an agreement is reached for US and India to co-produce armoured combat vehicles.

In an interview broadcast on Sunday, the Ukrainian president said US soldiers could eventually be pulled into a greater European conflict with Russia if Washington did not step up support.

While reiterating Washington seeks not to decouple from Beijing, treasury secretary outlines strategy to expand trade in the Indo-Pacific.

China’s Vice-Foreign Minister for Asia Sun Weidong meets Daniel Kritenbrink, US Assistant Secretary of State, for ‘candid, in-depth and constructive consultation’ on regional issues, including Taiwan and maritime issues.

The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, the US president’s programme for the region, is failing as an alternative to trade deals China is offering, the Asia Society Policy Institute concludes.

Warnings that Beijing, via Logink, could ‘gain access to and control massive amounts of sensitive’ data, including the commercial transport of US military cargo and critical market information.

Prominent political economist Zheng Yongnian says China should do more to bring the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) within its economic gravity amid an intensifying US rivalry.

Beijing unlikely to overtake US ‘in any significant measure of economic power’ in next two decades, influential Washington advisory panel hears.

Meeting at Camp David is expected to result in a series of defence, economic and diplomatic agreements aimed at pushing back against China.

Tokyo has ‘zero leeway’ when it comes to whaling, one analyst said, with many Japanese still supporting the internationally abhorred tradition despite not eating whale meat themselves.

Asia Society report says US should acknowledge it is ‘one of many regional actors’ and reduce its ‘rules-based order’ rhetoric, which many Southeast Asians regard as hypocritical.

Senior envoy touts ‘shared view and vision for the region’ ahead of Antony Blinken’s visit to Jakarta, criticising Beijing’s ‘many irresponsible acts’.

Past championing of market liberalisation led to fragile supply chains, production abroad and Beijing’s clout, says Washington’s top trade official.